In front of the cameras and in front of the live crowds, WWE superstar Daniel Bryan is a smarmy, arrogant and manipulative heel – the insider’s term for a villain – who throws his fists and his thickly bearded chin into the air and chants “YES! YES! YES!” after every win, no matter how cheaply they come.

Outside the ring and behind the scenes, however, he is a charming, funny and self-deprecating young man, who is grateful to be living in the bright spotlights of the WWE Universe after struggling to get noticed for more than a decade on the independent circuit.

On Monday afternoon, mere hours before getting down on his knee in the center of the ring to propose to WWE diva, AJ – who just happens to be the special guest referee for his title match in Phoenix this coming Sunday – the 5-8 submission specialist sat down with USAirwaysCenter.com.

Bryan, or “Goat Face” as his opponent CM Punk has referred to him, discussed his career, his rivalry with the current-WWE Champion, and the “Money in the Bank” pay-per-view.